Sewer cleaning device



Aug. 11, 1942. A, A OLEARY 2,292,712

SEWER CLEANING DEVICE 7 Filed Aug. 15, 1938 Patented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED STATES-JPATENT QEFIQE Andrew A. OLeary, St. "Paul, Minn.

" Application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 224,925

'3 Claims.

1' My invention relates to an improvement in sewer cleaning devices wherein it is desired to provide a device capable of digging out pipe such 2 as sewer pipes and the like which have been obstructed by foreign matter.

Various. types of-sewer cleaning devices have ..been constructed. All of these various constructions have a similar purpose in mind, namely that of producing rotation of a cutting element mounted on the end of a flexible shaft inorder to bore through or to cutaway obstructions in sewer pipes or the like. I have found that these former types of devices have certain serious disadvantages which I have attemptedto eliminate. For example, most of the deviceswith which I am familiar for accomplishing a similarpurpose, rotate in such a manner that the shaft or device rotatably supporting the: shaft is'directly connected to a motor. "Thus when the'obstruction engages the cutting element too strongly, "either the cutting element or the shaft or the supporting means connecting the shaft withthei motor 7:

must break, or else the motor itself. must stall. If the cutting element or the shaft breaks within the sewer pipe, it is then necessary to 'find a means of removingthe broken-portion of the shaft from the sewer pipe which is a-difiicult task without digging up the'pipe; Accordingly with prior devices having direct connection between the cutting element and the motor driving the same, occasionally a shaft will break within the sewer, making necessary the task of removing this broken shaft as well as removing the-obstruction.

It is a purpose of my invention torprovide a sewer cleaning device in which the. motoris connected to the shaft through a suitable clutch mechanism which may be set to any desired tension. The clutch is so arranged that the cutter will be rotated by the motor continuously unless an extreme force is exerted upon .the cutter tending to stop rotation of thesame.

rotation, the cutter may bewithdrawn slightly and worked into the opening more slowly in order to prevent the locking of the cutter a-second time. If the cutter blade continually looks, it is possible with my construction to-"removei the If such an extreme strain occurs the clutch actuates to prevent further rotation of the shaft with'the cutter andinsert into the pipe to be opened a smaller cutter or one of a different shape which will more easily work through and form a small opening which can be enlarged by reaming 5 cutters.

It is a feature of my invention to provide a reel formed of bars or spokes bent inwardly at their ends to contain a roll or coil of flexible shaft within the same. This coil has its free end extending through a curved guide pipe which carries the flexible shaft from the reel. The guide .is bent to provide a portion thereof extending axially with respect to the reel and is mounted in bearings at this axially extending portion so 5 that the curved guide will rotate with the reel. Thus the coiled loop of flexible shaft is guided from coiled or spiral condition within the reel out through the axis of the "reel and may be fed longitudinally in either direction so as to feed the shaft into coiled or uncoiled position. Obvi- 'ously when the-hollow curved guide member rotates slightly slower than the reel, the flexible -shaftis being fed away from the machine and .lwhile the arm is rotating faster than the reel, the shaft is being coiled within the reel.

It is a: feature of my invention to provide a s :means of changing the speed of rotation of the i :tcutter; This means when used in combination it with my clutch mechanism, makes it possible for '301the cutter to be: rotated at the desired speed. :Normally the'cutter may travel at a relatively low sp'eedrwhen the. machine is automatically 'feeding'out the: cable; how-ever, when an obsta- 'cle or stubborn resistance is met, it is possible to increase the speed of rotation of the cutter :andto feed the cable in slowly by hand until the cutter Works its way-through the'obstacle. It is'a' further feature of my construction to provide a springframe which may simply and '40 :easily; support the 'various parts of the machine, .awmaking up my'invention, and yet which may be ireadily transmitted from place to place because of the wheels mounted thereupon which are normally: out of contact with the ground but which .will enable the machine to be tilted and moved from place to place.

' These and other objects and novel features of my invention will bemore clearly and fully set forth'in the following specification and claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this spec fication:

- Figure l isa side elevational view of mysewer cleaning device.

Figure 2 is a top elevational view of the cleang1 device illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the clutch and speed change mechanism taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the bearing device used for supporting the guide, by means of which the flexible cable is coiled and uncoiled, the section being taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

My device comprises a frame I including a pair of substantially parallel supporting runners II having the front ends thereof angled inwardly and upwardly at I2 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. The upper ends I2 of the frame members I0 are secured between angles I3 bearin a supporting block I4. Spaced bearings I5 are mounted on the block I4 to accommodate the straight end portion I6 of the curved hollow guide member IT. A guide member I I is equipped with a collar I9 mounted thereon between the bearings I5 to prevent longitudinal movement of the straight end portion I6 of the guide pipe H.

The guide pipe I! is curved to create a bend in the flexible cable 2!] illustrated in dotted outline in Figure 1 of the drawing. The cable 20 is unwound from the reel along the substantially radially extending path and extends through the curved guide I! and through the bearings I5 so that the flexible cable 20 may be wound or unwound from the reel while the reel is in rotation. As will be seen from the drawing, the guide pipe or tube I1 is free to rotate with the reel 2I and when the flexible cable .20 is not being reeled off from the reel 2| or is not being coiled within the reel 2! the reel and the guide pipe are travelling at the same rotative speed.

The rear ends 22 of the frame members If) are looped upwardly and inwardly as shown in the drawing, and the extreme ends of these upwardly looped portions are supported in definite relationship with the runners II by means of braces 23. A transmission member 24 is mounted upon the ends 22 of the frame members Ill and a shaft 25 extending from the transmission 24 supports the reel 2 I.

The reel 2| comprises a series of angularly extending spokes 26 which extend outwardly from a central hub 2'! and which are bent transversely at 29 and which are provided with ends 33 which turn inwardly toward the hub to make each of the spokes substantially hook shaped. Reinforcing braces 3| are provided between the hub 21 and the spokes 26 to further support the same. The hub 2'! is mounted upon the transmission shaft 25.

Within the transmission which may be of any suitable type or design, gears or other means are provided which connect the shaft 25 with a transversely extending shaft 32. Upon the shaft 32 is motmted a disc or collar 33 which is connected to the shaft 32 for rotation therewith. A pulley 34 frictionally engages the disc 33 and the pulley 34 is forced against the disc 33 by means of a spring 35 which forces the washer 36 against the end of the pulley 34 which in turn urges this pulley 34 against the disc 33. The spring 35 is adjustably supported by the nut 36 which enables the tension of the spring 35 to be adjusted. Thus the spring 35 may be set so that slippage will occur between the pulley 34 and the disc 33 when any desired strain is exacted upon the shaft 32, and therefore, the motor of the device may rotate without effecting rotation of the reel 2|.

A pair of angle iron supporting members 31 extend rearwardly from the ends 22 of the frame members I0 and a motor 39 is mounted upon these angle members 31. A pulley 40 is provided on the motor shaft which pulley is connected by a belt M to the pulley 34 connected to the transmission 24. Therefore, when the motor 39 is put into operation, the pulley 40 is rotated, which acts through the belt M to rotate the pulley 34. The pulley 34 frictionally engages the disc 33 and rotates this disc thereby rotating the shaft 32. Rotation of the shaft 32 actuates through suitable gears Wihin the transmission 24, not shown in the drawing, to rotate the shaft 25. Upon this shaft 25 is mounted the hub 21 of the reel 2I, and therefore rotation of the motor 39 acts to rotate the reel 2 I.

As the reel 2! rotates, the flexible cable 20 coiled therein causes rotation of the curved guide II therewith. The cable may be pulled inwardly or outwardly even during rotation of the device.

A sleeve 43 is mounted freely upon the flexible shaft 20 and collar means 44 are provided to move the flexible shaft in either direction without stopping rotation of the reel 2I. If collars 44 are positioned on either side of the sleeve 43, the cable or flexible shaft may be coiled inwardly or outwardly by use of this sleeve. When it is desired to change the position of the sleeve 43, it is only necessary to stop rotation of the cable or flexible shaft 20 and to move the sleeve 43 to a slightly different position.

The operation of my device is believed clear from an observation of the foregoing specification. The manner in which the flexible shaft or cable is reeled and unreeled is believed clearly seen. The flexible cable may be fed in at any desired speed by means of the sleeve 43, and when the obstruction is reached, the pressure upon the cutter may be regulated by means of the force placed upon the sleeve 43. The cutter is permitted to travel at the highest speed advisable for devices of this sort and should the cutter reach an obstruction and become locked in place against rotation, the pulley 34 will slip with respect to the disc 33, and the motor 39 will continue to rotate While the shaft 23 and the reel 2I will remain stationary. The speed of the cutter may then be reduced and the cutter advanced into the obstruction more cautiously. If the obstruction cannot be removed in this way, it is possible to remove the flexible shaftfrom the sewer and to place a smaller cutter on the end of the shaft 20 or to use a cutter of a different shape, thereby permitting a small hole to be made which can be enlarged by suitable cutters.

A pair of sleeves or bearings 45 are secured in alignment on the frame members I0 and through these aligned sleeves 45 I provide a shaft 46 supporting wheels 41. The wheels 41' ordinarily just contact the ground or floor when the runners II] are rested upon the ground, so that the weight of the device rests upon the runners II rather than upon the wheels 4?. However, when it is desired to move the machine from one place to another, the front end of the frame may be lifted upwardly so that no portion of the device except the wheel 41 contact the ground or floor, whereupon the entire machine may be wheeled from one position to another.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my sewer cleaning device, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention, and that obvious changes may be made within th scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A sewer cleaning device comprising a rotatable reel, means for driving said reel, a short shaft projecting from said driving means, said reel comprising an axial hub, arms extending radially from said hub, feet substantially parallel to the axis of said hub on the outer extremities of said arms, inturned ends on said feet, and brace arms within said reel extending from a point on said hub spaced longitudinally from said arms, said brace arms secured to said arms at a point spaced from the axis of said shaft.

2. A sewer cleaning device including a pair of spaced parallel frame portions, rear ends on said frame portions extending upwardly and inwardly and terminating in supporting portions above said frame, a motor supported on said supporting portions, a rotatable reel, said rotatable reel supported by and closely adjacent said supporting portions, said motor providing means for driving said reel, said reel comprising an axle hub, arms extending outwardly from said hub, feet substantially parallel to the axis of said hub on the outer extremities of said arms, inturned ends on said feet, brace arms within said reel projecting from said hub and spaced longitudinally from said arms, and said brace arms secured to said arms at a point spaced from the axis of said shaft.

3. A sewer cleaning device comprising a pair of spaced parallel frame members, upwardly and forwardly extending rear extremities on said frame members, said rear extremities on said frame members terminating in spaced parallel supporting ends, a transmission mounted on said parallel supporting ends, a motor connected to said transmission to drive the same, a short shaft projecting from said transmission, a rotatable reel secured to said short shaft closely adjacent said supporting ends, said 'reel having an axle hub parallel to said frame members, a series of arms projecting outwardly from said hub, feet on the outer extremities of said arms, said feet parallel to the axis of said hub, inturned projecting ends on said feet parallel to said arms, a series of brace arms, said brace arms extending within said reel from said hub to said arms at a point spaced from the axis of said hub, upwardly extending forward ends on said frame members, said forward ends supporting a bearing coaxial with said reel, and a curved hollow tube journalled in said bearing and extending into the interior of said reel.

ANDREW A. OLEARY. 

